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The cost of privatisation to the profession : media representation of audiology in Australia

  • Authors: Šarkić, Bojana , Simpson, Andrea , Heine, Chrysse
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: Health Promotion Journal of Australia Vol. 34, no. 2 (2023), p. 603-611
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  • Description: Purpose: To investigate how the profession of audiology was represented in the media in Australia and how the increased privatisation of the profession may have shaped this representation. Methods: A systematic search of English language media records was conducted from 1 January 2000 to 17 July 2020 using ANZ News Stream, TV News, Google News and INFORMIT. Twenty-four of 1056 originally identified articles were retained. The findings were extracted and synthesised. Results: Context and content analyses were preformed, revealing a predominantly negative portrayal of Audiology as a profession in 21 (87.5%) of 24 articles. Predominant themes included: sales driven by incentives; predatory strategies and malpractice; non-regulation and privatisation of the hearing care industry; and conflict of interest. Conclusions: The media was found to highlight consumer mistrust in the profession in recent years. Increased regulation of the profession of audiology is recommended to protect the population against exploitative practices and to renew faith in the profession by the public. © 2022 The Authors. Health Promotion Journal of Australia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Health Promotion Association.

On stability of M-stationary points in MPCCs

  • Authors: Červinka, Michal , Outrata, Jiri , Pištěk, M
  • Date: 2014
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Set-Valued and Variational Analysis Vol. 22, no. 3 (2014), p. 575-595
  • Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP110102011
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  • Description: We consider parameterized Mathematical Programs with Complementarity Constraints arising, e.g., in modeling of deregulated electricity markets. Using the standard rules of the generalized differential calculus we analyze qualitative stability of solutions to the respective M-stationarity conditions. In particular, we provide characterizations and criteria for the isolated calmness and the Aubin properties of the stationarity map. To this end, we introduce the second-order limiting coderivative of mappings and provide formulas for this notion and for the graphical derivative of the limiting coderivative in the case of the normal cone mapping to ℝn Funding ARC- Australian Research Council

The effect of stabilization on the utilization of municipal sewage sludge as a soil amendment

  • Authors: Černe, Marko , Palčić, Igor , Pasković, Igor , Major, Nikola , Romić, Marija , Filipović, Vilim , Igrc, Marina Diana , Perčin, Aleksandra , Goreta Ban, Smiljana , Zorko, Benjamin , Vodenik, Branko , Glavič Cindro, Denis , Milačič, Radmila , Heath, David John , Ban, Dean
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Waste Management Vol. 94, no. (2019), p. 27-38
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  • Description: Stabilization procedures affect nutrient and inorganic contaminant concentrations.•Anaerobic sludge has the highest levels of metals and radionuclides.•High P and N contents in sludge are a measure of its potential as a fertilizer.•Adsorption of metals and radionuclides to sludge biomass increases with nutrient content.•Soil amendment with sewage sludge is a promising strategy for nutrient recovery. This study assesses the potential use of different types of stabilized sewage sludge as a soil amendment by considering their physicochemical characteristics, nutritional status, and their trace metal and radionuclide content. The concentrations of trace metals and radionuclides were determined using ICP-OES and gamma-ray spectrometry, respectively. For determining nutritional status and chemical characterization, this study followed standard ISO-recommended procedures. Data analysis revealed that anaerobic sludge contains higher concentrations of Cr, Hg, and Ni compared to aerobic and non-biologically stabilized sludge. A similar observation was observed in the case of 226Ra, 210Pb, 228Ra, and 228Th. Furthermore, the high levels of P and N in aerobic sludge suggest that biologically stabilized sludge has the potential to be a good fertilizer. In addition, the study finds strong evidence that nutrients are involved in the adsorption of metals and radionuclides onto sludge biomass. Overall, eight of the nine studied sludge samples are safe for agricultural use since the concentrations of trace metals fall well below the limits set by Croatian legislation (NN 38/08). In addition, the levels of radionuclides do not pose a radiological risk. This means that soil conditioning with sewage sludge remains a viable strategy for nutrient recovery from municipal waste, although long-term impact assessments of repeated applications are necessary.

Effect of sewage sludge derived compost or biochar amendment on the phytoaccumulation of potentially toxic elements and radionuclides by Chinese cabbage

  • Authors: Černe, Marko , Palčić, Igor , Major, Nikola , Pasković, Igor , Perković, Josipa , Užila, Zoran , Filipović, Vilim , Romić, Marija , Goreta Ban, Smiljana , Jaćimović, Radojko , Benedik, Ljudmila , Heath, David John , Ban, Dean
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of environmental management Vol. 293, no. (2021), p. 112955-112955
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  • Description: This study set out to evaluate the effect of using sewage sludge-derived compost (SSC) or biochar (SSB) as a soil amendment on the phytoaccumulation of potentially toxic elements, PTE (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) and natural radionuclides (238U and 232Th) by Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis (Lour.) Hanelt) in terra rossa and rendzina soils, which are the two common soil types in Croatia. The experiment consisted of a greenhouse pot trial using a three-factor design where soil type, sludge post-stabilisation procedure and amendment rate (12 and 120 mgP/L) were the main factors. At harvest, the concentrations of analytes in the substrate, leaves and roots were measured, from which the edible tissue uptake (ETU) and concentration ratios (CR) were determined. Also, the average daily dose (ADD) and hazard quotient (HQ) were determined to assess the health risk, as well as soil contamination factor (CF). The results showed that neither adding SSC nor SSB affected the soil loading at the rates applied, suggesting a low risk of soil contamination (CF ≤ 1). The ETU of Cd, Cu, and Zn were 0.0061, 1.23, and 0.91 mg/plant from compost-amended soil and 0.0046, 0.78 and 0.65 mg/plant for biochar-amended soil, respectively. This difference suggests that their ETU was higher in compost-amended soils than in soils treated with biochar. The CR data indicate that the bioavailability of Cu (CR of 5.30) is highest at an amendment rate of 12 mgP/L, while for Zn (CR of 0.69), the highest bioaccumulation was observed with an amendment rate of 120 mgP/L. Translocation of Cr, Ni, Pb and 238U to the leaves was limited. Overall, the HQ (<1) for Cd, Cu and Zn in the edible parts confirmed that consuming Chinese cabbage does not threaten human health. Similarly, the daily intake of 232Th remained below the limit (3 μg) set by ICRP, suggesting no radiological risk. Finally, although the amendment rate, which was 10-times the amount stipulated in Croatian regulation and the CR ranged from 0.007 to 5.30, the precautionary principle is advised, and the long-term impact of sewage sludge derived compost or biochar on different plant groups (incl. root vegetables) at the field-scale is recommended. [Display omitted] •Sewage sludge compost or biochar amendment did not result in soil contamination.•Biochar amendment reduced Cd, Cu and Zn edible tissue uptake relative to compost use.•No evidence of phytoaccumulation of Cr, Ni, Pb and 238U in Chinese cabbage leaves.•Levels of Cd, Cu, Zn and 232Th in the edible tissues does not pose a health risk.

Mosquito surveillance of West Nile and Usutu viruses in four territorial units of Slovakia and description of a confirmed autochthonous human case of West Nile fever, 2018 to 2019

  • Authors: Čabanová, Viktória , Tichá, Elena , Bradbury, Richard , Zubriková, Dana , Valentová, Daniela , Chovancová, Gabriela , Grešáková, , Víchová, Bronislava , Šikutová, Silvie , Csank, Tomas , Hurníková, Zuzana , Miterpáková, Martina , Rudolf, Ivo
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Eurosurveillance Vol. 26, no. 19 (2021), p.
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  • Description: Background: Despite the known circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in Slovakia, no formal entomological surveillance programme has been established there thus far. Aim: To conduct contemporaneous surveillance of WNV and USUV in different areas of Slovakia and to assess the geographical spread of these viruses through mosquito vectors. The first autochthonous human WNV infection in the country is also described. Methods: Mosquitoes were trapped in four Slovak territorial units in 2018 and 2019. Species were characterised morphologically and mosquito pools screened for WNV and USUV by real-time reverse-transcription PCRs. In pools with any of the two viruses detected, presence of pipiens complex group mosquitoes was verified using molecular approaches. Results: Altogether, 421 pools containing in total 4,508 mosquitoes were screened. Three pools tested positive for WNV and 16 for USUV. USUV was more prevalent than WNV, with a broader spectrum of vectors and was detected over a longer period (June-October vs August for WNV). The main vectors of both viruses were Culex pipiens sensu lato. Importantly, WNV and USUV were identified in a highly urbanised area of Bratislava city, Slovakias' capital city. Moreover, in early September 2019, a patient, who had been bitten by mosquitoes in southwestern Slovakia and who had not travelled abroad, was laboratory-confirmed with WNV infection. Conclusion: The entomological survey results and case report increase current understanding of the WNV and USUV situation in Slovakia. They underline the importance of vector surveillance to assess public health risks posed by these viruses. © 2021 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). All rights reserved.

The new robust conic GPLM method with an application to finance : prediction of credit default

  • Authors: Özmen, Ay , Weber, Gerhard-Wilhelm , Çavu , Defterli, Özlem
  • Date: 2012
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Global Optimization Vol.56, no. 2 (2012), p. 233–249
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  • Description: This paper contributes to classification and identification in modern finance through advanced optimization. In the last few decades, financial misalignments and, thereby, financial crises have been increasing in numbers due to the rearrangement of the financial world. In this study, as one of the most remarkable of these, countries' debt crises, which result from illiquidity, are tried to predict with some macroeconomic variables. The methodology consists of a combination of two predictive regression models, logistic regression and robust conic multivariate adaptive regression splines (RCMARS), as linear and nonlinear parts of a generalized partial linear model. RCMARS has an advantage of coping with the noise in both input and output data and of obtaining more consistent optimization results than CMARS. An advanced version of conic generalized partial linear model which includes robustification of the data set is introduced: robust conic generalized partial linear model (RCGPLM). This new model is applied on a data set that belongs to 45 emerging markets with 1,019 observations between the years 1980 and 2005. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Deltamides and croconamides: Expanding the range of dual h‐bond donors for selective anion recognition

  • Authors: Zwicker, Vincent , Yuen, Karen , Smith, David , Ho, Junming , Qin, Lei , Turner, Peter , Jolliffe, Katrina
  • Date: 2018
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Chemistry : a European journal Vol. 24, no. 5 (2018), p. 1140-1150
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  • Description: Dual H‐bond donors are widely used as recognition motifs in anion receptors. We report the synthesis of a library of dual H‐bond receptors, incorporating the deltic and croconic acid derivatives, termed deltamides and croconamides, respectively, and a comparison of their anion binding affinities (for monovalent species) and Brønsted acidities to those of the well‐established urea and squaramide dual H‐bond donor motifs. For dual H‐bonding cores with identical substituents, the trend in Brønsted acidity is croconamides>squaramides>deltamides>ureas, with the croconamides found to be 10–15 pKa units more acidic than the corresponding ureas. In contrast to the trends displayed by ureas, deltamides and squaramides, N,N′‐dialkyl croconamides displayed higher binding affinity to chloride than the N,N′‐diaryl derivatives, which was attributed to partial deprotonation of the N,N′‐diaryl derivatives at neutral pH. A number of differences in anion binding selectivity were observed upon comparison of the dual H‐bond cores. Whereas the squaramides display similar affinity for both chloride and acetate ions, the ureas have significantly higher affinity for acetate than chloride ions and the deltamides display higher affinity for dihydrogenphosphate ions than other oxoanions or halides. These inherent differences in binding affinity could be exploited in the design of anion receptors with improved ability to discriminate between monovalent anions. Croconamides spotted in the delta! Bite‐angle and Brønsted acidity control anion binding affinity and selectivity by amides from the oxo‐carbon family.

Carfilzomib promotes the unfolded protein response and apoptosis in cetuximab-resistant colorectal cancer

  • Authors: Zulkifli, Ahmad , Tan, Fiona , Areeb, Zammam , Stuart, Sarah , Luwor, Rodney
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol. 22, no. 13 (2021), p.
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  • Description: Cetuximab is a common treatment option for patients with wild-type K-Ras colorectal carcinoma. However, patients often display intrinsic resistance or acquire resistance to cetuximab following treatment. Here we generate two human CRC cells with acquired resistance to cetuximab that are derived from cetuximab-sensitive parental cell lines. These cetuximab-resistant cells display greater in vitro proliferation, colony formation and migration, and in vivo tumour growth compared with their parental counterparts. To evaluate potential alternative therapeutics to cetuximab-acquired-resistant cells, we tested the efficacy of 38 current FDA-approved agents against our cetuximab-acquired-resistant clones. We identified carfilzomib, a selective proteosome inhibitor to be most effective against our cell lines. Carfilzomib displayed potent antiproliferative effects, induced the unfolded protein response as determined by enhanced CHOP expression and ATF6 activity, and enhanced apoptosis as determined by enhanced caspase-3/7 activity. Overall, our results indicate a potentially novel indication for carfilzomib: that of a potential alternative agent to treat cetuximab-resistant colorectal cancer. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Rodney Luwor” is provided in this record**

To be fair or efficient or a bit of both

  • Authors: Zukerman, Moshe , Mammadov, Musa , Tan, Liansheng , Ouveysi, Iradj , Andrew, Lachlan
  • Date: 2008
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Computers and Operations Research Vol. 35, no. 12 (2008), p. 3787-3806
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  • Description: IIntroducing a new concept of (®, ¯)-fairness, which allows for a bounded fairness compromise, so that a source is allocated a rate neither less than 0 · ® · 1, nor more than ¯ ¸ 1, times its fair share, this paper provides a framework to optimize efficiency (utilization, throughput or revenue) subject to fairness constraints in a general telecommunications network for an arbitrary fairness criterion and cost functions. We formulate a non-linear program (NLP) that finds the optimal bandwidth allocation by maximizing efficiency subject to (®, ¯)-fairness constraints. This leads to what we call an efficiency-fairness function, which shows the benefit in efficiency as a function of the extent to which fairness is compromised. To solve the NLP we use two algorithms. The first is a well known branch-and-bound-based algorithm called Lipschitz Global Optimization and the second is a recently developed algorithm called Algorithm for Global Optimization Problems (AGOP). We demonstrate the applicability of the framework to a range of example from sharing a single link to efficiency fairness issues associated with serving customers in remote communities.
  • Description: C1

Space : Contemplating the voids

  • Authors: Zuccolo, Michelle
  • Date: 2006
  • Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
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  • Description: This research project into the manipulation of spatial concepts by artists on the two-dimensional surface plane, has involved a selected study into cultural and aesthetic evolution from early civilization through to the present era. I have cast a line of inquiry into eastern, western and primitive art practices, observing the journey of chance accelerated by developments in technology. Traditionally artists utilized modes of spatial convention and techniques according to the specific cultural traditions of the time and place of their production. By contrast, contemporary artists know no such boundaries, and are able to select from a range of spatial options relevant both to current forms of expression and to a personal visual language. My own art practice has been enriched and extended, increasing my ability to challenge the notion of still life composition by reversing the traditional hierarchy of form and space through the application of a series of experiments brought about by extensive research into this spatial evolution. The research project has further assisted this development in my art practice by engaging me in a new level of understanding of the topic, informing my perceptions and increasing my ability to translate a combination of forms in space with heightened emotion and personal meaning.
  • Description: Master of Arts (Visual Arts)

The expendable teacher in covid-19 times : a poetic inquiry into the reconfiguration of governmentality in victorian schools

  • Authors: Zonca, Benjamin , Ambrosy, Josh
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies Vol. 19, no. 1 (2021), p. 212-248
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  • Description: The actualization of a neoliberal rationality has been widely explored in global education policy and Australian schools. This paper draws on engagements with neoliberalism as rationality made ‘real’ through government practices, specifically those that reify the teaching profession into one of risk-management and problem-solving at the expense of deliberation about purposes. In this paper, redacted policy poetry and participant-voiced poetry are employed in parallel to explore the COVID-19 crisis as it emerged in the State of Victoria, Australia with a specific focus on the reconfiguration of risk-management discourses through blanket policy directive. This paper identifies and explores three themes highlighted by this reconfiguration of risk discourse and shifts in modes of governance during this time that are magnified by a teacher’s affective and practical responses to the situation. They are: (1) collective teacher response to overt policy decisions that compel the teacher to embrace risk; (2) contradictions of expectation for schools to continue as usual; and (3) an explicit shift away from instrumental evidence-based pedagogies toward new purposes, pedagogies, and community engagement with little guidance. © 2021, Institute for Education Policy Studies. All rights reserved.

An application of near infra-red fibre bragg grating as dynamic sensor in SHM of thin composite laminates

  • Authors: Zohari, Mohd , Kahandawa, Gayan , Epaarachchi, Jayantha , Lau, Alan , Cook, Kevin , Canning, John
  • Date: 2013
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Structural health monitoring 2013 : a roadmap to intelligent structures : proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring p. 267-275
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  • Description: Vibration testing is an essential component in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). It can provide vital information regarding the integrity of critical structure; for instance, it can provide information on progressive failure monitoring of composites structure in the aerospace industry. Over the past decade, there have been many successful researches showing extraordinary ability of Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors as a dynamic sensor. Ability of acquiring both static and dynamic strain measurements, make FBG sensor as a good alternative to replace the conventional vibration sensors. In addition the physical size of FBG sensor provides greater access to embed them in composite structures without affecting to any properties of the composite. However, in most applications to date, people have used only the FBG with wavelength 1550 nm. Moreover, FBG sensors with this wavelength are commonly use in industries such as telecommunications and medical industries. However, there is an option of using near infra-red (NIR) FBG range which comparably cheap in term of total system design. This paper details the use of near infra-red (NIR) FBGs as dynamic sensors; a part of SHM system for the monitoring of the damages in a thin glass fiber composite plates. Results reveal that the NIR FBG range gives good response to an impact and; also to applied high frequency vibrations.

NIR fibre bragg grating as dynamic sensor : An application of 1D digital wavelet analysis for signal denoising

  • Authors: Zohari, Mohd , Kahandawa, Gayan , Epaarachchi, Jayantha , Lau, Alan , Canning, John , Cook, Kevin
  • Date: 2013
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Fourth International Conference on Smart Materials and Nanotechnology in Engineering
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  • Description: During the past decade, many successful studies have evidently shown remarkable capability of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) sensor for dynamic sensing. Most of the research works utilized the 1550 nm wavelength range of FBG sensors. However near infra-red (NIR) FBG sensors can offer the lower cost of Structural health Monitoring (SHM) systems which uses cheaper silicon sources and detectors. Unfortunately, the excessive noise levels that experienced in NIR wavelengths have caused the rejection of sensor that operating in this range of wavelengths for SHM systems. However, with the appropriate use of signal processing tools, these noisy signals can be easily ‘cleaned’. Wavelet analysis is one of the powerful signal processing tools nowadays, not only for time-frequency analysis but also for signal denoising. This present study revealed that the NIR FBG range gave good response to impact signals. Furthermore, these ‘noisy’ signals’ response were successfully filtered using one dimensional wavelet analysis.

EMG-triggered stimulation post spinal cord injury: A case report

  • Authors: Zoghi, Maryam , Galea, Mary
  • Date: 2018
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Physiotherapy theory and practice :a n international journal of physical therapy Vol. 34, no. 4 (2018), p. 309-315
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  • Description: Background: Mechanical injury in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) rarely transects the cord completely, even when the injury is classified as complete. These patients can show sub-clinical evidence of spared motor connections, which might be amenable to targeted rehabilitation. Neurophysiological evaluations can complement the clinical evaluation by providing objective data about conduction across the SCI site. Case Description: A twenty-four year old patient with SCI was admitted to a rehabilitation centre 49 days post traumatic SCI. His injury was categorized as motor and sensory complete (AIS A) with a neurological level of C4. The strength of his triceps bilaterally was recorded 0/5 repeatedly by his therapists during the five-month period post-injury. As a result, no training was provided for these muscles during the rehabilitation program. Neurophysiological Assessment: Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from his left triceps with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) which confirmed the existence of spared corticospinal connections to this muscle post-injury. Intervention: He completed a series of active-assisted exercises with an EMG-triggered neuromuscular stimulation (NMS) device for his left triceps comprising 20-minutes elbow extension (15 trials), three times per day for 4 weeks. Outcome: The strength of his left triceps gradually improved to 2/5. Discussion: Neurophysiological evaluation can be useful in identifying residual function below the level of injury, which can, in turn, be enhanced through appropriate rehabilitation strategies.

Brain motor control assessment post early intensive hand rehabilitation after spinal cord Injury

  • Authors: Zoghi, Maryam , Galea, Mary
  • Date: 2018
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Topics in Spinal cord injury rehabilitation Vol. 24, no. 2 (2018), p. 157-166
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  • Description: The Brain Motor Control Assessment (BMCA) is a surface electromyography (sEMG)-based measure of motor output from the central nervous system during a variety of reflex and voluntary motor tasks. The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of voluntary movements in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) to investigate whether BMCA could add more resolution to clinical assessments and the recovery path of these patients. Ten participants were recruited from the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre as part of a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Four participants received usual care while the other 3 participants received usual care plus an intensive task-specific hand training program in conjunction with functional electrical stimulation for 8 weeks. BMCA assessments were completed for 7 participants at this center 4 times over a period of 1 year. Generalized linear model analysis showed a significant main effect of task ( < .001) and assessment time ( = .003) on the Similarity Index. However, there were no significant interactions among the factors ( > .05). Based on ARAT or summed upper limb strength scores, some participants showed significant improvement after 8 weeks of rehabilitation, however this improvement was not reflected in the pattern of muscle activation that was captured by BMCA. The quantifiable features of BMCA through surface EMG may increase the resolution of SCI characterization by adding subclinical details to the clinical picture of lesion severity and progression during rehabilitation.

Cathodal transcranial direct‐current stimulation for treatment of drug‐resistant temporal lobe epilepsy: A pilot randomized controlled trial

  • Authors: Zoghi, Maryam , O'Brien, Terence , Kwan, Patrick , Cook, Mark , Galea, Mary , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Epilepsia Open Vol. 1, no. 3-4 (2016), p. 130-135
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  • Description: Summary Objective To investigate the effect of cathodal transcranial direct‐current stimulation (c‐tDCS) on seizure frequency in patients with drug‐resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Method Twenty‐nine patients with drug‐resistant TLE participated in this study. They were randomized to experimental or sham group. Twenty participants (experimental group) received within‐session repeated c‐tDCS intervention over the affected temporal lobe, and nine (sham group) received sham tDCS. Paired‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to assess short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) in primary motor cortex ipsilateral to the affected temporal lobe. SICI was measured from motor evoked potentials recorded from the contralateral first dorsal interosseous muscle. Adverse effects were monitored during and after each intervention in both groups. A seizure diary was given to each participant to complete for 4 weeks following the tDCS intervention. The mean response ratio was calculated from their seizure rates before and after the tDCS intervention. Results The experimental group showed a significant increase in SICI compared to the sham group (F = 10.3, p = 0.005). None of the participants reported side effects of moderate or severe degree. The mean response ratio in seizure frequency was −42.14% (standard deviation [SD] 35.93) for the experimental group and −16.98% (SD 52.41) for the sham group. Significance Results from this pilot study suggest that tDCS may be a safe and efficacious nonpharmacologic intervention for patients with drug‐resistant TLE. Further evaluation in larger double‐blind randomized controlled trials is warranted.

Brain motor control assessment of upper limb function in patients with spinal cord injury

  • Authors: Zoghi, Maryam , Galea, Mary , Morgan, David
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine Vol. 39, no. 2 (2016), p. 162-174
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  • Description: Background: The brain motor control assessment (BMCA) for the upper limb has been developed to add resolution to the clinical evaluation in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). BMCA is a surface electromyography (sEMG)-based measure of motor output from the central nervous system during a variety of reflex and voluntary motor tasks performed under strictly controlled conditions. Method: Nine participants were recruited and assessed four times over a period of 1 year in a prospective cohort study design. The sEMG of 15 muscles (7 muscles from each upper limb and rectus abdominis) were recorded throughout the following stages of the BMCA protocol: (i) relaxation, (ii) reinforcement maneuvers, (iii) voluntary tasks, (iv) tendon-tap reflex responses, (v) vibration responses. Results: Similarity index (SI) values were significantly lower in the SCI group for unilateral shoulder abduction (P = 0.006) and adduction (P = 0.021), elbow extension (P = 0.038), wrist flexion/extension with palm up (P < 0.001 P < 0.001) and wrist flexion with palm down (P = 0.016). sEMG magnitudes were also significantly lower in the SCI group for wrist flexion/extension with palm up (P < 0.001 P = 0.042). SI changes over time were significant for tasks related to wrist joint (P = 0.002). Conclusion: Clinicians who are involved in rehabilitation of patients with SCI can use the BMCA to assess their patients' motor control abilities and monitor their progression throughout their rehabilitation process. The results of this type of neurophysiological assessment might be useful to tailor therapeutic strategies for each patient.

A step toward restoring hand functions in patients with multiple sclerosis—a study protocol

  • Authors: Zoghi, Maryam , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
  • Date: 2023
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences Vol. 4, no. (2023), p.
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  • Description: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation, demyelination of axons, and oligodendrocyte loss in the central nervous system. This leads to neurological dysfunction, including hand impairment, which is prevalent among patients with MS. However, hand impairment is the least targeted area for neurorehabilitation studies. Therefore, this study proposes a novel approach to improve hand functions compared to current strategies. Studies have shown that learning new skills in the motor cortex (M1) can trigger the production of oligodendrocytes and myelin, which is a critical mechanism for neuroplasticity. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used to enhance motor learning and function in human subjects. However, tDCS induces non-specific effects, and concurrent behavioral training has been found to optimize its benefits. Recent research indicates that applying tDCS during motor learning can have priming effects on the long-term potentiation mechanism and prolong the effects of motor training in health and disease. Therefore, this study aims to assess whether applying repeated tDCS during the learning of a new motor skill in M1 can be more effective in improving hand functions in patients with MS than current neurorehabilitation strategies. If this approach proves successful in improving hand functions in patients with MS, it could be adopted as a new approach to restore hand functions. Additionally, if the application of tDCS demonstrates an accumulative effect in improving hand functions in patients with MS, it could provide an adjunct intervention during rehabilitation for these patients. This study will contribute to the growing body of literature on the use of tDCS in neurorehabilitation and could have a significant impact on the quality of life of patients with MS. 2023 Zoghi and Jaberzadeh.

Teacher perceptions of changes in school infrastructure and how these impact on their teaching practice

  • Authors: Zivave, Takavada
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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  • Description: The impetus of this study comes from the 2009 Commonwealth Government of Australia’s $16.2 billion investment in school infrastructure under the Building the Education Revolution (BER) program. The BER program was supposed to stimulate the economy through creating construction jobs by building schools and ensuring that workers had jobs during the global financial crisis. Provision of learning spaces and learning space design was secondary to this need to create construction jobs. This thesis aimed to explore the teaching activity using an activity system based on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) (Engestrom, 1987) with the intent of bringing out or exposing the contribution made by the BER school infrastructure program on teaching especially around issues of pedagogy, teamwork, wellbeing, collaboration and interactions with students. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study utilised three sources of data, document analysis, online survey responses and focus group interviews. In the first phase, data were collected using a document analysis, this information guided the design of the online survey instrument, which was used to collect data in the second phase. Data collected using both the document analysis and online survey responses were used in the third phase, which involved focus group interviews. The data analysis involved identifying, grouping together and labelling document analysis, data from the online survey and transcripts of focus group interviews. These were coded and organised into themes, or units of meaning. The quantitative data was presented in frequency tables and descriptive statistics. This quantitative data was corroborated with extracts from focus group interviews and document analysis data where possible. The study’s findings demonstrated that school infrastructure supports teacher collaboration by allowing for team planning and co-teaching. Furthermore, the study revealed a link between teacher collaboration and teacher wellbeing. The study findings indicate that when teachers plan together and co-teach, their workload is reduced contributing positively to teacher wellbeing. The study suggests that a relationship exists between school infrastructure and student-teacher interactions, which serves to reduce negative interactions when dealing with outside classroom behaviour. The present study seeks to generate insights that, while unique to participants and individuals, are anticipated to be of interest to teachers more broadly. Potentially, the findings from this study could inform other educational contexts, for example, school architectural designers. Significantly, this research seeks to contribute to literature on the importance of school infrastructure on teacher performance ultimately improving student-learning outcomes.
  • Description: Doctor of Philosophy

What does it mean when they don't seem to learn from experience?

  • Authors: Zink, Robyn , Dyson, Michael
  • Date: 2009
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Cambridge Journal of Education Vol. 39, no. 2 (2009), p. 163-174
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: In this paper we use an example of when students appear not to have learnt from their experience to examine some of the 'orthodoxies' of experiential education. This frames a discussion exploring how it is possible for a teacher to declare that students have got it 'wrong' in relation to learning from experience. It is argued that both learning through experience and who has experiences is viewed through specific forms of reason within contemporary experiential education. The paper concludes with a challenge to open reason up to greater scrutiny in experiential education and consider the possibilities that emerge through the indeterminacy of relationships inherent in experience and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]